Exclusive interview: Mini the cat killed by out-of-control Western Hunt
In March 2021 Mini the cat was chased and killed by hunting hounds in a quiet residential area.
The Government should back Mini’s Law (Public and Animal Safety Bill 2021) to ensure the safety of the public and animals from hunting activity, such as trail hunts and exercise of hunting hounds.
There are many incidents involving hunting hounds, and the situation is now dangerously out of control. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident with a recent report finding that as of March 2021 there is on average one reported incident every two weeks.
Legislation should be introduced to prohibit any activity involving hunting hounds, such as trail hunts and hound exercise, taking place in a residential area or in any other public place.
Below is the interview Protect the Wild conducted with Mini’s owner Carly.
What was Mini like?
“She was scared when she came home, she’d been abused and she thought we might be the same but she grew to trust us and she was so affectionate, she used to bite my hair at night, sleep on my pillow and she was like my little shadow, she was my little best friend and I adored her, it’s so hard without her, it is really really hard. I just miss her loads.
Our home like I said is not a home anymore, Mini’s love was the most important thing, she made life better just because she was so special and grateful for us and I don’t want anyone else to feel like this”
Did the hunt show any guilt for what happened?
“He looks behind and then he throws, and I know the distance he threw her, and then he got someone to check the hedge from the hunt for her, after and we were all freaking out thinking they’d got another cat and then we realised she’s come up to get Mini, but Mini hit a tree in the garden, halfway in the garden and fell down but he literally launched her as far as he could get her.
It was instinct to check he wasn’t being watched then get rid of evidence, Mini was evidence to him that’s all she was.
They just think they’re going to carry on as normal, they’re just hoping for the best outcome for them, they’re not hoping for the best for us or the wildlife or any other animal, they just want to carry on with what they were doing and get away with this and they’ve taken the most important thing they could of taken off us so I will do everything I can to stop them.
What he’s done and how he’s caught proves everything.
What shocked you the most about what happened?
’s bad enough when your animal dies normally of illness or something but for her to go in an undignified manner like she did, that’s not right, this is not normal.
And before they said I know how you feel, my dog died at Christmas.
I kept thinking that night, he’s eating his tea, doing everything you normally would but he’s just taken part in killing my animal and to them that’s normal.
You want to think that people are animal lovers and care and want to look after their animals but that isn’t always the case and if we all thought it was a lovely world then hunting wouldn’t be happening would it, they wouldn’t still be out, why are they still going out, why?
The legislation protects them, the loopholes protect them, there’s no protection for any animal, it’s they get away with it because the laws are not tight enough for what they’re meant to be, they’re not fit for purpose.
1:03:56- Every animal needs protection from them, every animal, they don’t deserve protection, they’re the ones going out killing for fun, the animals aren’t doing them any harm so why aren’t the innocent party protected?
Do you blame the hounds for what happened?
I’ve never blamed the hounds, I hear the hounds every day since and I’m not angry at the hounds, they breed the hounds unnecessarily, they’re making them do this.
If they loved their hounds then why do they starve them, why do they keep them in a cold kennel crying, I hear the hounds, I can hear their sorrow, they aren’t loved, that isn’t love, they’re shot at a young age, they don’t get taken to a vet like a regular domestic animal, they don’t get cuddled, that isn’t love.
How did it feel when the press picked up the story?
It felt reassuring when this went big because people realised that she mattered and this mattered and this shouldn’t be happening, again this isn’t normal this is disturbing, something from a horror film but it’s acceptable to some degree to some people, they’re just intertwined in our society and getting away with it and if we can highlight it now with Mini dying then that’s what we’re going to do and we’ll have to use this in a positive way.
What has the reaction been from the public?
People that have contacted us are horrified at what has happened.
People are just shocked, they don’t want that to happen to their animals, we don’t want to have to feel unsafe in our own homes.
A lot of my neighbours and my friends locally in the village, we hate them, we hate what they do, they may think it’s socially acceptable but it’s not, it is outdated, it is not normal. It is just organised dog fighting that’s ok, meant to be ok, it is not ok.
Do you think the death of Mini can be a catalyst for change?
I hate the idea of being seen, I hate being on photos and camera but this opportunity is too big, it’s amazing I think for Mini if she can change things for everyone, that was maybe her job.
I want Mini to be a catalyst for change, she was so important to us and that makes me feel guilty because every animal matters and it kind of puts it into perspective that every fox, every cat that has been killed previous, this shouldn’t be happening, I don’t want it to happen again,why are they allowed to carry on doing this.
What would you say to people reading this?
I was naïve and thought people in the world wanted to help animals but when you realise there are people who don’t want to help and they don’t care that’s really hard to deal with – but everything to do with the campaign has shown that kind people outweigh the evil people.
If you have any compassion for animals, people, if you care then you’d want to change this, the hunting ban was meant to be there to protect wildlife, people’s domestic animals, this isn’t happening, we’re seeing it’s clearly not happening, they’re still doing what they want to do for fun, so please let’s do something to change this.
